Cybersecurity Archives

A Failure to Over-Communicate

Terry Hastings May 10, 2017

Emergency managers (and others) often fail to truly engage and educate their various stakeholders. With numerous competing priorities and a vast array of information outlets to contend with, getting a message to resonate requires more effort than ever before. As such, emergency managers must be willing to over-communicate and explore

Biometrics & Continuous Evaluation: A New Approach

Ernest Baumann and Delilah Barton April 24, 2017

Increased focus on insider threats has resulted in greater attention to background screening and automated methods to assist the vetting process for initial and continued access to secure facilities and classified information. Recent technology applications can provide investigators with an ever-increasing variety of data for screening and continued vetting. Applying

Civil Unrest – Prediction & Preparedness

Kenneth Comer April 11, 2017

Civil unrest, regardless of cause, creates unexpected risks to lives and property. Predicting the timing and scale of these events would allow for better tactical management and a more effective training process. However, theoretical work by complex systems scientists and real-world experiences of first responders make a strong case that

The Ongoing Quest to Assess & Measure Preparedness

Terry Hastings, Chris Hennen, Gerald Manley, John Pendio, Joe Sastre, Kevin Sligh and Arthur (Art) Samaras February 1, 2017

Since 9/11, billions of dollars and an enormous amount of effort have been directed at enhancing national preparedness efforts as they relate to human-caused and natural disasters, yet many jurisdictions and organizations still struggle to determine how prepared they are and how prepared they need to be.

Ghosts of Old Vulnerability

Douglas McDaniel January 11, 2017

There are few conversations today capable of surfacing guttural emotional responses quite like a discussion related to bias and inequalities. The challenge is clear. From the most elementary perspective, if the existence of bias and/or inequalities is acknowledged, it is illogical to then ignore the possibility that adverse impacts are

The Year of the Railway Station

Steven Polunsky December 21, 2016

The year 2017 should be a great year for mobility and infrastructure in the United States. All signs are pointing to a robust economy, and policymakers are looking favorably on transportation projects – road, rail, air, public, private, and in between. In particular, the upcoming year will see a number

Making the Grid Great Again

J. Michael Barrett December 14, 2016

As the dust from the recent election settles, one of the first orders of business for the incoming Trump administration is a massive public infrastructure investment plan. Although the economic benefits associated with improved infrastructure are popular with many citizens and both sides of the political aisle, the real-world practicalities

Asking the Experts About Active Shooter Threats

Catherine L. Feinman October 26, 2016

On 16 August 2016, David Mitchell, chief of police and director of public safety for the University of Maryland, led a roundtable discussion at the College Park campus on the topic of active shooters and lone wolves. This article summarizes that discussion, which addressed various topics related to active shooters,

The “Not If, But When” Fallacy: Active Shooter Preparedness

Research Group at University of Maryland October 12, 2016

The phrase “It’s not if, but when” may distort how certain organizations perceive emergency preparedness, especially in cases such as active shooter threats. This common expression leads to inaccurate threat perceptions and can result in leaders becoming complacent. Emergency managers should be aware of this potential odd pairing of

Addressing Threats – From Concept to Field

Catherine L. Feinman September 28, 2016

To address various national threats and the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) role in military and civilian defense technology, DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion on 21 July 2016 at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC). That discussion, which was moderated by ECBC’s BioScience Division Chief Peter Emanuel, brought together professionals

Major Themes From the 2016 Aspen Security Forum

Erik S. Gaull September 14, 2016

The 2016 Aspen Security Forum was held from July 27 to July 30 in Aspen, Colorado. Over the past seven years, the forum, hosted by the Aspen Institute, has earned a well-deserved reputation as the most important venue for thought leadership in the homeland and national security arenas, attracting distinguished

Balancing Risk – Understanding & Preparing for Catastrophes

Catherine L. Feinman June 22, 2016

Space weather, nuclear, and catastrophic natural disasters are just lying in wait for the right combination of conditions. Although it is not possible to plan specifically for every type of threat – imaginable and unimaginable – it is necessary to weigh the risks associated with various threats and take sufficient

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